TeamThere are certain mistakes people tend to make when they want to sell their homes. Being aware of these things to avoid when you want to sell your house will help you make sure that everything goes according to plan.
1. Being emotionally attached to the house
You’ve probably been living in this house for years, and there are a lot of memories attached to it, but you can’t get emotional. It’s time for you to think of yourself as a salesperson, not a homeowner. Thinking of this from a financial perspective will make it easier for you to distance yourself. In addition, it couldn’t harm to remember how you felt when you bought this house. It’s probably how your potential buyers are going to feel, so you’ll be able to understand them better. Changing the appearance of your home is also useful because it will make your house look less familiar.
2. Doing everything on your own
If you have no experience in selling homes, you shouldn’t attempt to sell yours on your own. Hiring an agent makes things easier, but it comes at a price. An agent could help you negotiate with buyers and take care of all the paperwork. However, if you don’t want to hire an agent doing everything on your own is still one of the things to avoid when you want to sell your house. You will need to do thorough research, get your house on the MLS (multiple listing service), and you could hire a real estate attorney for the details about the transaction. Keep in mind that you will have to cover the costs of the buyer’s agent, even if you don’t hire an agent yourself.
3. Expecting a sale at an unrealistic price
Determining the right price is one of the tips to sell your house fast at the best price. However, deciding on an unrealistic price is one of the things to avoid when you want to sell your house. Overpriced homes simply don’t sell, and you have to understand that the buyers are educated about the prices. Setting a low price instead might even be a good trick to get more people to bid and raise the price. After all, you can always reject an offer that you consider to be too low.
4. Expecting no negotiations
Expecting your buyers to instantly agree on the asking price is definitely one of the things to avoid when you want to sell your house. Make room for negotiations when you’re determining the price if you want to make sure to get the price you want. Modernizing and staging your home can help you sell at a higher price, but it all comes down to whether you’re in a seller’s or a buyer’s market.
5. Trying to sell during winter
People rarely buy homes during winter, especially when the holidays are coming. Social engagements aside, if you think about just how much trouble is to move during winter, you’ll understand. Most people are willing to buy a house during the warmer months, so you might want to wait with putting your home on sale until the winter has passed.
6. Neglecting the photographs
You simply can’t sell a home without taking pictures of it and posting them online, and good pictures, to be precise. Taking pictures on your own is one of the things to avoid when you want to sell your home if you’re not great at photography. There needs to be a lot of natural lights in your home, and the pictures need to portray your home’s best qualities. Consider creating a video tour as well, because you definitely don’t want to settle for a few pictures that your agent will take with their phone.
7. Not having homeowners insurance
Not being insured is certainly one of the things to avoid when you want to sell your house. If you don’t have homeowners insurance, make sure to be insured in case a potential buyer has an accident in your home. Try to make all the precautionary measures too, such as keeping the kids away from the pool or getting the dog out of your home during showings.
8. Hiding big issues
Your potential buyers are going to find out about the issues of your home, so don’t try to hide them. One of the things to avoid when you want to sell your house is to make your buyers think that your home is perfect, just to get them disappointed when they see the issues. You have two options. Either you will fix any issues in your home, or you’ll inform the buyers about them and lower the price accordingly.
9. Not cleaning the house
The last thing you want is for your buyers to come in just to find clutter, mess, and bad odors. Make sure to clean and declutter your home and that your house smells good too. Freshly painted walls could also improve the appearance of your house. Notice all the small issues, such as a dripping faucet or a broken doorknob. It’s never a bad idea to also invite your friends over and ask them to point out any imperfections that you might didn’t notice.
